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On December 1, World AIDS Day, world leaders are gathering in Argentina for the G20 meeting. This campaign is aimed at putting global health on the minds of these leaders as they meet. We are calling on them to support global health by signing on to the declaration supporting a 2019 replenishment of the Global Fund.

We are encouraging you to reach out to your G20 elected officials, champions in Parliament and those in respective Ministries or Heads of State (HoS) and call for the insertion of language supporting the Global Fund in the G20 declaration.

Please find our Social Media tools here and support our campaign on World AIDS day at G20.

It is with much sadness that we share the news of the passing of Jacqueline Wittebrood earlier this week.

Jacqueline was at International Civil Society Support since its humble beginnings in 2006 alongside Peter and Raoul. Jacqueline also acted as Communications Focal Point for the Developed Country NGO Delegation to the Board of the Global Fund, co-created the Global Fund Advocates Network and with colleagues in global health, conceived of and launched the first “Here I Am” campaign which has grown into a widely appreciated network of champions for the Global Fund.

Jacqueline extended her hand in friendship to a generation of advocates from so many different backgrounds who feel she nurtured and instilled in us a sense of dedication and commitment for our collective efforts in the HIV-response and other global health issues.

Jacqueline was compassionate, diligent and always demonstrated a deep understanding of the key human rights and development issues of our time. She conveyed her ideas succinctly, without arrogance demonstrating profound commitment. Apart from her incredible intellect, Jacqueline’s humble demeanour and strong sense of social justice made her an effective advocate, an excellent colleague and truly an amazing individual.

On behalf of our extended, global family of advocates, we extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Jacqueline’s family and friends. The obituary in which Jacqueline’s family shared the sad news (attached to this message), reads:

“Defeated and for all of us much too soon, in great sadness we had to bid farewell to our loving, caring, brave and fierce Jacqueline” and: “You just had to love this woman.”

We wholeheartedly share these sentiments; you will be in our hearts and minds when you gather for Jacqueline’s memorial service on Tuesday afternoon. Together, we will remember and celebrate her life.

~

For those attending the Global Fund 38th Board Meeting this week, please note that information will be circulated about an informal gathering to remember Jacqueline.

— Obituary —

In 2014, Jacqueline brought this piece of artwork back from Australia; It is titled:

Key Populations and the Global Fund: Delivering Key Results explains why ending AIDS, TB and malaria will be impossible without addressing the needs of and working with key and vulnerable populations. It details the unique role the Global Fund has played to support and mobilize domestic resources for key populations, challenge human rights barriers to health and provide opportunities for these populations to participate in the development and implementation of programmes that affect them.

Global Fund Replenishment 2016: The Cost of Inaction demonstrates that inadequate investment in the Global Fund will threaten millions of lives and result in billions of dollars in additional costs. According to the report, failure to fully fund the global responses for AIDS, TB and malaria, including replenishing the Global Fund, over the next six years, will:

Result in 21 million preventable AIDS deaths and 28 million preventable new HIV infections;

Give rise to 45 million new TB infections and an additional 29 million people needing treatment;

Jeopardize the potential to avert 3 million malaria cases and save 10 million lives.

Additionally, the Cost of Inaction report describes how simply maintaining current levels of investment could result in a rise of drug-resistant strains of HIV, TB and malaria that are even more costly to treat. For example, the number of people with HIV who will require more expensive second-line treatments – usually as a result of drug resistance – is estimated to double between 2014 and 2020.